Drawer slide roller and controlled guide



Dec. 9, 19 69 R. F. ANDERSON DRAWER SLIDE ROLLER AND CONTROLLED GUIDE Filed May 20, 1968 United States Patent 3,482,888 DRAWER SLIDE ROLLER AND CONTROLLED GUIDE Ralph F. Anderson, Rockford, Ill., assignor to Keystone Consolidated Industries, Inc., a corporation of Delaware Filed May 20, 1968, Ser. No. 730,389 Int. Cl. F16c 35/02, 21/00, 29/04 US. Cl. 3083.8 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A drawer slide assembly for a drawer in a cabinet having a center track roller movable in a center track extending between the rear wall and cabinet front wall and a controlled guide secured to the center roller bracket. The controlled guide has a mounting portion which is secured onto the center roller bracket above the roller and track and an offset guide portion parallel to the center bracket and positioned alongside of the closed side of the C-shaped track to guide the center roller and limit or prevent any excessive lateral movement of the drawer.

The present invention relates to an improved center bracket and roller assembly for a center track drawer installation, and more particularly to a novel controlled guide mounted on the center bracket to ride closely adjacent the closed side of the center track for the drawer.

Among the objects of the present invention is the provision of a bracket assembly for a drawer guide assembly utilizing a controlled guide secured to the bracket and having a guide portion facing the roller mounted on the bracket. The guide portion is spaced from the roller a distance slightly greater than the thickness of the side wall of the center track.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a bracket assembly for a track roller having a controlled guide with a mounting portion and an offset guide portion parallel to the bracket arm for the roller. The mounting portion has one or more lateral projections extending through suitable openings in the bracket and headed to secure the guide to the bracket.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a bracket assembly for a drawer slide assembly having a controlled guide secured thereto and having an offset guide portion. The bracket carries a track roller which is mounted on the bracket arm and located in a C-shaped track on the open side of the track. The guide portion is positioned closely adjacent the closed side of the track to limit or prevent any undesirable or excessive lateral movement of the drawer. The bracket assembly and guide are secured to the rear surface of the drawer and are easily assembled with the track through an open end or an opening in the upper surface of the track.

Further objects are to provide a construction of maximum simplicity, efliciency, economy and ease of assembly, and such further objects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear and are inherently possessed thereby.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a drawer slide assembly having a center track and showing the rear drawer wall and the center roller bracket and guide secured thereto.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of the roller bracket and controlled guide.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1 and showing the roller bracket in side elevation.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on the line 44 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 55 of FIG. 3.

Referring more particularly to the disclosure in the drawing wherein is shown an illustrative embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 discloses a cabinet or enclosure 10 having a front wall 11 with an opening 12 for reception of a sliding drawer 13 and a spaced rear wall 14 of the enclosure; the drawer in closed position extending to adjacent the rear wall. The drawer 13 includes a front wall 15, side walls 16, a rear wall 17 and a bottom 18. The drawer may be of a standard configuration or design and does not have to be prooved or otherwise altered for the utilization of the slide assembly.

The drawer slide assembly for supporting and guiding the drawer 13 in the cabinet includes a single center track 19 mounted in the cabinet 10 below the drawer and suitably secured to both the front wall 11 and the rear wall 14 of the cabinet at the opposite ends thereof. A pair of spaced front rollers 21 are mounted on brackets 22 secured to the cabinet front wall 11 at each side of the drawer 13 with the rollers 21 supporting the lower edges 23 of the side walls 16 of the drawer 13. The specific construction of the track 19, track mounting means and the front rollers and brackets are of the type shown in the Anderson et al. Patent No. 3,281,198, and are not specifically shown in the drawing as these details form no part of the present invention.

The center track 19 is a generally C-shaped track in cross section (see FIG. 4) and is provided with a flat side wall 24 and angular top and bottom walls 25 and 26, respectively. The top wall 25 is cut away to provide an opening (not shown) adjacent the cabinet front wall 11 such as that shown in the above cited Anderson et al. patent. The drawer 13 is provided with a roller bracket 27 secvured to the rear wall 17 by screws 28 or other suitable attaching means, and rotatably carrying a drawer roller 29 by means of a rivet or pin 31. The roller bracket 27 includes a mounting flange 32 having an opening 33 and a slot 34 to receive the screws 28 for attaching the bracket to the rear drawer Wall 17.

At right angles to the flange 32 is a rearwardly and downwardly extending arm 35 having a longitudinally extending embossment 36 thereon, the lower end of the embossment being enlarged and having an opening 37 to reeceive the end of the pin or rivet 31 which is headed as at 38 in the recess 39 formed by the embossment. Secured to the bracket arm 35 is a controlled guide 41 which is preferably formed of a suitable plastic material. As shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5, the controlled guide 41 1s a channel-shaped member having a mounting portion 42, an offset 43 perpendicular to the mounting portion, and a guide portion 44 parallel to the mounting portion 42 and adapted to be positioned and move closely adjacent to the side wall 24 of the track 19. The mounting portion 42 includes a pair of spaced integral pins or rivets 45 projecting laterally to extend through spaced openings 46 formed in the embossment 36; the pins 44 being headed at 47 (see FIGS. 3 and 5) within the recess 48 formed by the embossment. The recess 49 in the channel shape of the mounting portion 41 receives the raised portion 51 of the embossment 36 to orient the guide 41 relative thereto.

As seen in FIG. 4, the guide portion 44 of the controlled guide 41 is located closely adjacent the flat side wall 24 of the track 19 opposite the roller 29, in which position the guide 41 will prevent any undesirable or excessive lateral or side action or play in the drawer during insertion or withdrawal thereof. The guide does not obstruct any movement or hinder assembly of the drawer in the cabinet. The drawer with the bracket and guide may be easily inserted into the cabinet with the roller 29 entering through the open end of or an opening in the top wall of the track 19 with the guide merely fitting H o'ver'theuppe'r and side wall of the track.

Having thus disclosed my invention, I claim:

1. A roller bracket and guide assembly for a drawer slide having a guide track therefor, comprising a roller bracket having a mounting flange and a downwardly and rearwardly extending bracket arm having a free end closely adjacent one side of a guiding track and having an opening adjacent the free end thereof, a roller adapted to ride in the guiding track, a rivet carrying said roller and extending through the opening in the bracket arm, and a controlled guide having a mounting portion secured to said bracket arm above said roller and an offset guide portion positioned closely adjacent the opposite side of said guiding track to limit sidewise movement of the inner end of the drawer.

2. A roller bracket and guide assembly as set forth in claim 1, in which said guiding track has a generally C-shape with an open side facing said bracket arm and a flat closed side facing said offset guide portion, said controlled guide and said roller being formed of a suitable plastic material.

3. A roller bracket and guide assembly as set forth in claim 1, in which said bracket arm has a longitudinally 4 extending embossrnent facing said track and providing a recess on the opposite side and having a pair of openings therein, said controlled guide having a pair of integral pins adapted to project through said spaced openings, said pins and said roller carrying rivet being headed in the recess formedby said vembossrnent.

4. A roller bracket and guide assembly as set forth in c1aim 3, in which said controlled guide has a generally channel shape opening toward said bracket arm and receiving said embossment.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,866,853 7/1932 Kennedy 312344 X 2,002,576 5/1935 Holland 308-3.8 2,202,209 5/ 1940 Kennedy 312344 X 3,094,363 6/1963 Frernstad 3083.8 X

MARTIN P. SCHWADRON, Primary Examiner LUCIOUS L. JOHNSON, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 312343, 344 

